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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Peanut Butter Bread with Streusel Topping

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have for my entire life had a problem. I tend to speak my mind and don't couch my opinions when asked to give them. I pretty much tell it like it is, sometimes without even being asked. I'm an observer and, by nature, a fixer. I like to leave things better than I found them, sometimes without even being asked. Not much escapes my ministrations, even recipes. I have an adrenaline rush when I discover one that needs just a bit of help to make it perfect. I found one last week when I went looking for a bread made with peanut butter. It was highly rated, but didn't read quite right. I decided to browse through the comments of other readers and quickly learned that my affliction, the need to fix and comment, was shared by many. I decided to make the bread, exactly as written, to test its merits against the validity of the reader's comments. Once that was done, I planned to make it again using their suggestions. Did, did and done. The initial test confirmed that the bread was indeed dry and surprisingly flavorless. Aging didn't help much either. The second loaf, which contained more liquid and salt, was better but still not great. I decided to have a third go at it, and used a nut streusel to cover the top of the bread. That pretty much worked and I ended up with a bread I wouldn't be embarrassed to serve visitors. It was an interesting exercise that taught me an important lesson. I haven't always read the comments that come with some recipes. That will change. The first loaf was pretty much a waste that could have been avoided. The second loaf was better, but if you didn't like peanut butter going into the experiment there was nothing here that would change your mind. The version with streusel topping was good, but Bob had the best idea of all. He decided to slather his slice with cream cheese and jelly and effectively made an open faced sandwich that he liked. Interestingly, our neighbor's children loved the bread served that way. They finished their loaf in two days. If you really like peanuts you'll enjoy this bread. The original recipe for the bread can be found here. My version of the recipe appears below.

Directions:1) To make the streusel: Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, butter and peanuts in a bowl. Work mixture with fingertips until mixture resembles crumbs. Set Aside.2 ) To make bread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf and set aside. Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in peanut butter until crumbly. Combine egg milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Top with streusel mixture. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan. Turn onto a wire rack to complete cooling. Yield: 1 loaf.

This bread looks delicious, especially with the addition of the streusel topping. My 13 year old would try and eat this bread all by himself, he is a huge peanut butter fanatic. I will have to bookmark this recipe for him. Thanks for sharing :o)

Having just eaten a piece of Cape Seed Bread toasted and slathered with peanut butter, I'd say I'm a fan of peanut butter. I've never heard of a bread like this though - I think it might be very good toasted.

Because you are a determined woman you found the perfect recipe of this bread...You're tenacious and that, for me, is a great quality!Lovelly bread i would serve myself of a slice but you are to far away ihihi....

I know how you feel. I rarely leave a recipe as is, I'm constantly trying to change it just a bit to meet my tastes. I don't normally go the distance to compare side-by-side though :), thanks for doing the leg work for us all on that one :). And I love peanut butter, peanuts, nuts, so this bread sounds fantastic :). I have something similar on my blog that I need to play around with some more.. :). Thanks for the reminder :). P.S. what peanut butter did you use? Regular (Jiff, Skippy etc) or "natural" (which in general is different from the Canadian natural).

I love reading recipe comments but try to take them with a grain of salt. You never know who the other reviewers are! I love this streusel topping and i"m so glad you found a way to make the bread to your liking!

I wish I had the patience to keep tweaking a recipe. Usually if it doesn't work the first time I toss it and move on to the next. This bread sounds delicious and I love the idea of serving with cream cheese and jelly. Double yum! Thanks for sharing.

I ALWAYS read the comments because often the recipe people are rating highly has LITTLE to do with the original. It's what makes taking ratings hard at face value because so many people use the recipe as a jumping off point. Even though it would make things more complicated, I wish recipe sites would have people tag whether they made it as written or made with tweaks that way you could look side by side. But maybe that's just me. Regardless, the idea of peanut butter bread is sounding fantastic to me rihgt now.

I have never heard of peanut butter bread, and would love to try it! Yes, it really pays to read recipe comments, you can avoid a bad first try. It does take awhile, though, when we'd rather be blogging!

Thank you so much for experimenting! I have also found peanut butter bread to be extremely dry and not tasty, using the regular recipe. I love love love peanut butter and I will certainly try your recipe soon.

I made some pb banana muffins today, and I thought they were a bit dry, and I noticed that in trying to keep them lower cal and fat, there was no added fat, other than the pb in the muffin part of the recipe ( these were also struesel topped) and I see your bread really has no added fat other than from the egg, milk and the pb also. I am thinking about remaking the muffins and adding some oil. The taste was wonderful though. you are right....sometimes the reviews can help save you time and money. Unfortunately, the recipe I got didn't have any! :)

Wow!What a wonderful blog!(It sounds like de song!)I love all your recipes.I'll try this peanut butter bread, my son loves peanut butter so I think this could be good for him!Thank you for visiting me and let me know about you.I become a follower!See you soon!

You know - if I had peanuts - I'd give it a go right now - but it does sound like you need the nuts! I find comments very helpful - but they're like critiques - you take them with a grain of salt - knowing your own preferences. But I must admit - I shouldn't have come here hungry. Your husband's solution to finish the bread has me starved for some.

I have been reading reviews/comments way more recently too - as you do learn a lot! I am impressed you made this 3x!!! You rock Mary! And Silver Fox had the best idea yet with the open face sandwich...I just might be inspired to make bread?!?!

Ok...Mary...you know how much I love, love, love all of your recipes and this looks divine as I'm a peanut butter lover all the way!! But....I loved your intro....I think we are kindred spirits in that we are by nature going to try to make things better than they started no matter.....I too, speak my mind....often when I shouldn't but it's hard not to! And that adrenaline rush....isn't it great? i love to "fix" things for people that need fixing! It truly makes me smile and makes my heart so happy! So....whether or not it's fixing a recipe or fixing something in someone's life that needs our help....lets keep fixing and definitely keep cooking! And...I can't wait to make this bread!! Thanks, Mary! You are one of the sweetest people I really don't "know" but I DO know that I would love you if we ever get to meet!!! have a very blessed day and week!!!!

Hello Mary, thanks for visit and comment on my recipe. I thought the idea of good bread crumbs in the peanut, but with the cream cheese and jam must have been great. Come again pair up to visit. Thanks for sharing

I really like your version with the streusel topping Mary; the cream cheese and jelly is an original topping and I imagine it was delicious! I have a couple of cake recipes I need to remake-I hope I have good results with them.Have a great day.

Thank you again Mary for mentioning my bread and linking to it at the end of your post. Your bread looks good, and I was cringing when I read the post and hoping it wasn't anything I made and posted about. I have never been able to leave a critical comment on a food blog unless it is a company. I suppose it would be helpful to know the things people don't like but don't know if I could take it. I can barely take silence from my readers or other bloggers sometimes. I know I need to get thicker skin but sometimes its hard too.

You are so right - I have found some great suggestions from reader comments on the best way to tweak a recipe and have used many of them. Peanut butter and jelly are a perfect combination and that one sounds like a winner!

I love your version and how determined you were to make it better. As for cream cheese and jelly - tell the Silver Fox he "rules". I admit I always read the reviews before I make something, but it doesn't always result in success. LOL

I do love peanuts and I think that the cream cheese and jelly idea is great. Even though I know everyone's tastes are different, I always read reviews and comments for recipes I find on the internet. :)

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